The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 411

Brandon was somewhat uneasy. "No worries, I'll come with you."

"Just hang on for a sec, I'll see you there first."

Brandon said, about to head back to his room to change, but Sophia stopped him. "Really, there's no need. You haven't slept all night; you should catch some Z's. Mr. Dempsey is going with me, so chill out."

Seeing that Don was tagging along with her, Brandon could breathe easy and nodded. "Cool, I'm gonna crash for a bit then. Hit me up if anything pops up."

Sophia nodded. "Sure thing."

Brandon arranged a ride for her with a driver, watched her leave, and then finally headed back to his room to rest.

The Frost Group's tendering party was going down at the Starlight Hotel's grand ballroom, a big-deal event with all the bells and whistles.

The Frost Group, playing the gracious host, laid out a buffet spread before the bidding got rolling, making it look more like a major bash than a business affair.

When Sophia got to the lobby, Don wasn't there, and she was stuck there without an invite, waiting for him in the hotel's ground floor lounge.

The place was buzzing, with hotel guests and conference attendees milling about.

Not keen on bumping into Marian, Sophia snagged a corner seat with her back to the door. But while she was on the lookout for Don, she ran into Ivan by chance.

There he was, parked on a corner sofa, buried in a newspaper, looking like he'd been there a hot minute.

He was all spruced up for the occasion, rocking a sharp suit, not his usual casual office vibe.

Sophia hadn't even noticed him until she was right up close, and was kind of taken aback.

Ivan looked up just then, surprised to see her materialize out of nowhere.

"What brings you here?" he asked, already on his feet, ushering her toward a seat inside.

Marian was smack in the center of the hubbub, all smiles for the eager press and guests, looking polite, sweet, and somewhat naive, yet totally in her element and sparkling with enthusiasm.

Louis and Martin flanked her.

Louis responded to the warm congrats and interviews with equal courtesy, his aged face beaming with pride and a touch of "look at my girl go."

Martin, on the other hand, was much cooler. Faced with mics shoved his way, he just gave a polite wave-off, declining to chat. His stern face wasn't exactly bursting with joy; if anything, he seemed a bit fed up and annoyed.

Ivan glanced at Marian in the crowd, too. "The Frost family's got a real soft spot for their prodigal granddaughter, huh?"

Sophia chuckled, "Looks like it."

She couldn't help but sneak another peek at the crowd and spotted Aaron among Marian's entourage. Sophia's brow furrowed as she caught sight of him, her gaze locking onto Aaron.